Emmanuel Macron and Mahmoud Abbas
Emmanuel Macron and Mahmoud AbbasReuters

Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday met French President Emmanuel Macron in Ramallah to discuss the latest developments in the peace process and regional affairs, the Xinhua news agency reports.

During the meeting, Abbas expressed hope that France will recognize a Palestinian state.

Abbas highlighted France's role in "saving the political process from the stalemate caused by Israel's intransigence," the PA chairman was quoted as having told Macron.

"We are serious about holding parliamentary and presidential elections in the Palestinian territories, including occupied Jerusalem," he added.

"We look forward to the recognition of the European countries that believe in the two-state solution, and France's recognition of the state of Palestine on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital,” said Abbas, as quoted by PA’s official Wafa news agency.

For his part, Macron reaffirmed his country's support for the peace process in the region on the basis of the two-state solution.

France will continue to support the Palestinian people in building their institutions and economy, added Macron.

Macron has said in the past that he is not hanging his hopes on US President Donald Trump's peace deal for Israel and the PA, which has come to be known as the “Deal of the Century”.

European countries have backed the PA’s rejection of the US plan, which has yet to be unveiled in full, and have stressed the importance of the “two-state solution” to the decades old conflict with Israel.

Palestinian Arab officials have been pressuring countries to officially recognize “Palestine”, in a move meant to bypass direct peace talks with Israel.

While several European countries have recognized “Palestine” in recent years, those moves were symbolic ones that have little, if any, actual diplomatic effect.